Apparatus for inverting filter cigarettes or the like



G. MENGE Oct. 14, 1969 APPARATUS FOR INVERTING FILTER CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE F119;! July 21, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR;

HIS ATTOPNE Y Oct. 14, 1969 G. MENGE 3,472,355

APPARATUS FOR INVERTING FILTER GIGARETTES OR THE LIKE Filed July 21, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2:

H/S AT TOPNE Y G. MENGE Oct. 14, 1969 APPARATUS FOR INVERTING FILTER CIGARETTES OR THE LIKE Filed July 21. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet Fig. 9

/MVENTQP.

H/S ATTORNEY- United States Patent T U.S. Cl. l9833 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The flutes of a first rotary transfer drum deliver filter cigarettes into successive holders, which are non-rotatably afiixed to an endless travelling steel tape, while such holders travel along a first stringer of the tape. The holders then travel around an end turn to invert the cigarettes and deliver the thus inverted cigarettes into the flutes of a second rotary transfer drum whose axis is parallel with but which is staggered axially with reference to the first transfer drum.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus for inverting commodities end for end, particularly for inverting filter cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles.

In the manufacture of filter cigarettes, pairs of axially spaced tobacco rods are assembled with filters of double unit length to form filter cigarettes of double unit length. Each cigarette is then severed midway across its filter to yield two filter cigarettes of unit length. The filters of such cigarettes of unit length are adjacent to each other and, therefore, it is necessary to invert one filter cigarette of each pair in order to insure that all of the filters will have the same orientation which is necessary for inspection and particularly for packaging of filter cigarettes. It is well known that, in a pack, the filters of all cigarettes face in the same direction.

U.S. Patent No. 3,215,250 to Schubert discloses an apparatus wherein filter cigarettes are inverted during travel with the holders of a drum. Each holder is turnable through 180 degrees about an axis which extends substantially radially of the drum whereby the cigarettes carried by the holders are automatically inverted end for end. Such apparatus is quite satisfactory; however, it must be assembled of a relatively large number of precisionfinished parts because each holder must rotate with reference to the drum and with reference to the other holders. Furthermore, each holder must be connected with a suction generating device to firmly hold the cigarette during inversion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an important object of my invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus which may be utilized for inversion of filter cigarettes or other commodities through 180 degrees (i.e., end for end if the commodities are constituted by rod-shaped articles) and wherein such reorientation of commodities is carried out by a small number of simple and inexpensive parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the just outlined character wherein the commodifies are transported at a constant speed, without sudden changes in direction and with ,smooth transfer between a series of conveyors.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can invert filter cigarettes or other commodities at a desired rate of speed and which, if used 3,472,355 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 2 for reorientation of filter cigarettes, is capable of shuflling reoriented cigarettes with those whose orientation remains unchanged.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide an inverting apparatus which can be built into or combined with a conventional filter cigarette machine.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an apparatus wherein the articles which require reorientation are positively guided at all times and wherein the holders in which the articles are held during reorientation are much simpler, less expensive and longer-lasting than those in presently known inverting apparatus.

Briefly outlined, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of an apparatus which can invert articles end for end and which is particularly suited for inversion or reorientation of filter cigarettes. The apparatus comprises an inverting conveyor including an endless travelling carrier which may be constituted by a tape made of steel or the like and has an end turn separating two preferably parallel stringers, and a series of article-supporting holders non-rotatably atfixed to the carrier, a feed for supplying articles to successive holders travelling along one of the stringers so that the articles are inverted during travel from the one stringer, around the end turn and toward the other stringer, and receiving means for accepting inverted articles from holders travelling along the other stringer.

The feed preferably comprises a first transfer drum which is provided with axially parallel peripheral flutes serving to deliver articles to the holders along the one stringer. The receiving means preferably comprises a similar transfer drum whose flutes receive inverted articles from the holders along the other stringer. The two transfer drums are preferably of identical diameters and have parallel axes but are staggered axially with reference to each other. The two stringers preferably make acute angles with the axes of the respective transfer drums.

The apparatus may be further provided with guide means for such holders which are in the process of receiving non-inverted articles and/or in the process of discharging or being relieved of inverted or reoriented articles. Such guide means may include fluted disks which engage the holders during travel past the one and/or the other transfer drum or stationary rails cooperating with roller followers carried by the holders.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved inverting apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an inverting apparatus which embodies one form of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the apparatus, substantially as seen in the direction of the arrow H in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a holder in the inverting conveyor of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of a modified inverting apparatus wherein the inverting conveyor cooperates with guide means to insure smooth transfer of rod-shaped articles from the feed to successive holders;

FIG. 5 is a view as seen in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a third inverting apparatus wherein the inverting conveyor cooperates with modified guide means;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the inverting conveyor and of the guide means shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view as seen in the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the paths of travel of rod-shaped articles in the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an apparatus which is utilized for inverting filter cigarettes end for end. The apparatus comprises basically a feed, an inverting conveyor, and a receiving unit which accepts noninverted cigarettes from a component of the feed and which also accepts inverted cigarettes directly from the inverting conveyor. The feed includes a rotary wrapping drum 1 which applies adhesive-coated uniting bands or wrappers to groups 7 each of which includes two axially spaced tobacco rods (non-filter cigarettes of unit length) and a rod-shaped filter of double unit length disposed between the two tobacco rods in a manner well known from the art of filter cigarette machines. The circumferential distance between the centers of adjoining axially parallel peripheral pockets or flutes 1a of the wrapping drum 1 is denoted by the character T. The feed further comprises a rotary cutting drum 2 having axially parallel peripheral pockets or flutes 4 and a rotary transfer drum 5 having axially parallel peripheral pockets or flutes 6. The circumferential distance 2 between the centers of adjoining pockets 4 on the cutting drum 2 equals T/2, and the circumferential distance between the centers of adjoining pockets 6 on the transfer drum 5 equals T. The drum 2 cooperates with a driven disk-shaped cutter 3 which severs successive groups 7 midway across the respective filters of double unit length so that each group 7 yields two coaxial filter cigarettes 14, 16 of unit length. The purpose of my apparatus is to invert the cigarettes 16 end for end so that the filter of each inverted cigarette 16 will face in the same direction as the filters of cigarettes 14. It will be noted that the wrapping drum 1 delivers groups 7 into each second pocket 4 of the cutting drum 2. These drums respectively rotate in a counterclockwise and in a clockwise direction as indicated by arrows.

The inverting conveyor 8 is located in a horizontal plane and includes an endless carrier 11 of flexible metallic material, preferably a tape made of steel. The carrier or tape 11 supports a succession of equidistant substantially troughor channel-shaped horizontal holders 12 each of which is provided with an elongated cigarettereceiving groove or flute 15 and each of which is nonrotatably affixed to the tape 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the tape 11 has two parallel stringers 9, separated by an end turn ET where the tape travels about a driver wheel 26. The pockets 6 of the transfer drum 5 deliver cigarettes 16 to the grooves of successive holders 12 While such holders travel along the stringer 9, and the cigarettes are inverted end for end during travel along the end turn ET and on toward the stringer 10. Such holders 12 which approach the transfer drum 5 during travel along the stringer 9 at the transfer station A are parallel to the pockets 6 and it will be noted that the axis of the drum 5 makes an acute angle with the stringer 9.

The aforementioned receiving unit includes a second rotary transfer drum having axially parallel peripheral pockets or flutes 31 which receive inverted cigarettes 16 from the grooves 15 of holders 12 travelling along the stringer 10 (see the transfer station A in FIG. 2). The two transfer drums 5, 30 have identical diameters and parallel pockets 6, 31 but are staggered axially with reference to each other. This in clearly shown in FIG. 2. The axes of the transfer drums 5, 30 are located in a common horizontal plane at a level above the plane of the tape 11. The axial length of each transfer drum preferably equals or approximates half the axial length of the drum 1 or 2. The receiving unit further comprises an intermediate or shuffling drum 33 having axially parallel peripheral pockets or flutes 34 which receive inverted cigarettes 16 from the second transfer drum 30. The distance T between the centers of adjoining pockets 31 on the transfer drum 30 is the same as that between the centers of pockets 6 on the transfer drum 5, and the distance between the centers of successive pockets 34 on the shuflling drum 33 equals t. The axial length of the drum 33 equals or approximates that of the transfer drum 30 and the vertical plane of the drums 30, 33 is common to the plane of cigarettes 14 on the cutting drum 2. The pockets 34 form two sets of alternating pockets. The pockets 34 of one set receive successive cigarettes 14 directly from the cutting drum 2 and the pockets 34 of the other set receive inverted cigarettes 16 from the second transfer drum 30'. Thus, in the region downstream of the transfer station between the drums 2 and 33, each successive pocket 34 accommodates a filter cigarette whereby the non-inverted cigarettes 14 alternate with inverted cigarettes 16. This single file of cigarettes whereon all of the filters face in the same direction is then transferred into successive pockets or flutes 35a of a testing or inspecting drum 35 whereon the cigarettes are tested for integrity of their fillers and/or wrappers prior to delivery into storage, into a charger or tray, or directly to a packing or other processing machine, not shown. The manner in which the cigarettes are tested on the drum 35 forms no part of my present invention.

The distance between the centers of pockets 35a on the testing drum 15 equals 2. Each of the drums 1, 2, 5, 30, 33, 35 may be a suction drum of the type commonly employed in transportation of cigarettes or like rod shaped articles, or the apparatus may comprise suitable baffles or shields which surround portions of the drums to prevent ejection of articles from various grooves, pockets or flutes due to gravity and/or centrifugal force. Shields may be used together with or as a substitute for suction-operated retaining means. The axial length of the testing drum 35 need not exceed the axial length of the drums 5, 30 and 33. The distance between the centers of successive grooves 15 in the holders 12 of the inverting conveyor 8 equals T.

It is further to be noted (see FIG. 2) that the axis of the second transfer drum 30 makes an acute angle with the stringer 10. The stringers 9, 10 are shown as being exactly parallel to each other. The carrier or tape 11 is trained around two wheels 26, 27 which are respectively mounted on vertical shafts 24, 25. The peripheries of the wheels 26, 27 are respectively provided with flutes 28, 29 of substantially semicircular cross-sectional outline which are equidistant from each other (the distance between the centers of successive flutes 28 or 29 equals T) and serve to receive portions of pockets 12 so as to impart to the tape 11 a lengthwise movement in an endless path extending along the stringers 9, 10, about the end turn ET and around the second end turn ET. The grooves 15 of holders 12 which travel along the stringer 10 and approach the transfer drum 30 are parallel to the pockets 31. Thus, the holders 12 are not exactly normal to the stringers 9 and 10, this being clearly shown in FIG. 2.

The drive 32 of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a suitable gear train whereby the diameters of pitch circles of gears in such gear train equal the pitch diameters of the respective drums and wheels. The pitch circle of a drum is the circle including the axes of rod-shaped articles which travel with the respective drum. The gear train includes a driver gear 36 which is aifixed to the shaft 5a of the transfer drum 5 and meshes with an intermediate gear 37. The latter drives a gear 38 having a horizontal shaft 38a which carries a bevel gear 39.

The gear 39 meshes with a bevel gear 40 on the shaft 24 of the driver wheel 26 for the tape 11. The direction of travel of the tape 11 can be reversed by mounting the bevel gear 40 upside down. Therefore, this gear 40 is preferably removably secured to the shaft 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates the details of a holder 12. This holder comprises a horizontal prismatic body 13 the top face of which is provided with the groove 15. The median portion of the body 13 is connected with a vertically downwardly extending slotted cylindrical coupling pin 17 which straddles the tape 11 and is afiixed thereto by a horizontal fastener or clamp 18. .The slot between the two legs of the coupling pin 17 is shown at 21 and the clamp 18 connects the lower ends of these legs at a level below the tape 11 which latter extends through the slot 21. The diameter of the coupling pin 17 equals the diameters of flutes 28, 29 (see FIG. 2) in the wheels 26, 27 and a portion of each pin 17 extend into the flute 28 or 29 when the respective holder'12 travels around the end turn ET or ET. Thus, the pins 17 also serve as a means for transmitting motion from the wheel 26 to the tape 11 and from the tape to the wheel 27.

The underside of the body 13 is provided with a longitudinally extending cutout or channel 19 which receives one leg 22 of a substantially L-shaped adjustable stop bracket 20. The leg 22 has an elongated slot which receives the stern of a connecting screw 22a driven into the body 13 so that the bracket 20 may be shifted lengthwise of the leg 22 to the extent determined by the length of the slot. The other leg 23 of the bracket 20 extends upwardly and registers with one end of the groove 15 so as to serve as an abutment for the cigarette 16 and to hold the latter against axial movement due to centrifugal force when the cigarette 16 travels around the end turn ET.

, The operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 which illustrates the paths in which the groups 7 and cigarettes 14, 16 move during travel from the wrapping drum 1 to the testing drum 35.

The drive 32 is on to rotate the drums 1, 2, 5, 3t), 33, 35, to drive the cutter 3, and to rotate the shaft 24 of the driver wheel 26. The flutes 1a deliver groups 7 of filter cigarettes of double unit length into each second pocket 4 of the cutting drum 2 and the latter advances such groups past the revolving cutter 3 which subdivides each group into a pair of filter cigarettes 14, 16. The disstance between the axes of successive groups 7 equals T, and the axes of successively formed pairs of filter cigarettes 14, 16 are located at the same distance from each other. In FIG. 9, the single file or row of filter cigarettes 16 is nearer to the observer than the file or row of cigarettes 14. The cigarettes 16 leave the cutting drum 2 close to the top of the first transfer drum 5 and are transferred into successive pockets or flutes 6 for travel toward the transfer station A where they enter the grooves 15 of successive holders 12. Each cigarette 16 is inverted end for end during travel from the stringer 9 and around the end turn ET and is removed from the corresponding groove 15 at the station A to enter the adjoining pocket 31 of the second transfer drum 30, This transfer drum delivers inverted cigarettes 16 into each second pocket 34 of the shuffling drum 337 As shown in FIG. 9, inverted cigarettes 16 which travel with the drums 30 and 33 are located in the vertical plane of non-in-verted cigarettes 14. The flutes 4 of the cutting drum 2 deliver non-inverted cigarettes 14 directly into such pockets 34 of the shuflling drum 33 which failed to receive inverted cigarettes 16 from the transfer drum 30. Thus, in the region downstream of the transfer station between the drums 2 and 33, each pocket or flute 34 accommodates a cigarette 14 or 16 and the filters of all such cigarettes face in the same direction. The drum 33 then delivers cigarettes 14 and 16 into successive pockets 35a of the testing drum 35. In order to insure that the cigarettes 16 will be placed into accurate registry with the non-inverted cigarettes 14, the apparatus may comprise one or two shifting cams which can be placed adjacent to the axial ends of the drum 33 in order to move each cigarette 16 which does not register with the row of cigarettes 14 so that the testing drum 35 will invariably receive a single file of filter cigarettes wherein the ends of such cigarettes are located in two parallel vertical planes. The aforementioned shifting cam or cams may be placed adjacent to the drum 3h, 33 and/or 35.

In order to insure satisfactory transfer of cigarettes 16 from the first transfer drum to the grooves of successive holders on the carrier of the inverting conveyor and from the holders to the second transfer drum, particularly when the apparatus is driven at a relatively high speed, the transfer stations A and A of FIG. 2 may accommodate suitable guide means, for example, guide means of the type shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The station A of FIG. 4 accommodates a horizontal shaft 24 which carries a pair of guide disks 221, 222 provided with pockets or flutes 223 for the holders 12 of the inverting conveyor 8. The peripheral speed of disks 221, 222 equals the speed of the holders 12 and the distance between the centers of pockets 223 equals T. During travel past the station A, the body 13 of each holder 12 enters the adjacent pockets 223 of the disks 221, 222 whereby the holder is automatically held in requisite position of alignment with the adjacent pocket 6 of the transfer drum 5. This insures that the transfer of cigarettes 16 at the station A will be smooth irrespective of the speed of the apparatus. The gear or gears which rotate the shaft 24 derive motion form the drive 32 or an analogous drive, not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a modified guide arrangement for the holders 12 of the inverting conveyor 8. The lower end portion of each coupling pin 17 carries a dolly or carriage 321 having two rollers followers 322 each of which is freely rotatable about a vertical axis and has some freedom of radial movement. In the region below the station A, the apparatus comprises two stationary guide rails 323, 324 defining between themselves a. horizontal pas sage whose width exceeds somewhat the diameter of a follower 322. The ends of the rails 323, 324 flare outwardly at the intake end of the passage to facilitate entry of successive followers 322. The rails 323, 324 are parallel with the stringer 9 of the tape 11. It will be readily understood that the rails 323, 324 and followers 322 insure accurate alignment of each holder 12 with the corresponding pocket or flute 6 of the transfer drum 5 during travel past the station A. The other station A (not shown in FIGS. 6 to 8) is preferably provided with a similar guide arrangement to insure satisfactory and smooth transfer of inverted cigarettes 16 from the holders 12 into successive pockets or flutes 31 of the second transfer drum 30.

Certain important features and advantages of my inverting apparatus can be summarized as follows:

The inverting conveyor 8 is of very simple and rugged construction so that it can stand long periods of use without any or with a minimum of maintenance. The conveyors or drums which deliver articles to and accept articles from the inverting conveyor 8 can be produced in the same machine and the transfer of articles between the feed and the inverting conveyor on the one hand and the inverting conveyor and receiving unit on the other hand is smooth, eve if the apparatus is driven at a high speed. The transfer of articles is so smooth that the provision of retaining means for such articles is optional, particularly at relatively low speeds. Referring again to FIG. 1, the holders 12 can properly support and retain articles 16 without suction because they travel in a horizontal plane at a level directly below the lowermost portions of the transfer drums 5 and 30'.

Furthermore, the entire apparatus occupies very little room. Thus, the drums 1, 2, 33 and 35 normally form part of a filter cigarette machine so that one row of filter cigarettes can be inverted or reoriented by the simple expedient of adding two identical transfer drums and the inverting conveyor 8. It is clear that the apparatus of my invention can be used for reorientation of a wide variety of rod-shaped articles and, by utilizing suitably altered holders, for reorientation of many other commodities.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for inverting articles end for end, particularly for inverting filter cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles, comprising an inverting conveyor including an endless travelling carrier having two stringers guided for movement in a substantially horizontal plane and an end turn intermediate said stringers, and a succession of article-supporting holders non-rotatably supported by said carrier; a feed for supplying articles to successive holders travelling along one of said stringers at a predetermined distance from said end turn whereby the thus supplied articles are inverted during travel around said end turn and travel along the other stringer in inverted position; receiving means having movable receiving portions for accepting successive inverted articles from holders travelling along said other stringer at a predetermined distance from said end turn, said receiving portions being adjacent to and located above said other stringer; and means for moving said receiving portions during acceptance of inverted articles in the general direction of movement of said other stringer.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said feed comprises a first rotary drum having artciel-transporting peripheral pockets and wherein said receiving means further comprises a second rotary drum having article-transporting peripheral pockets constituting said movable eceiving portions.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said drums have parallel axes and said pockets extend in parallelism with said axes.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said drums are staggered axially with reference to each other.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said feed further comprises a third drum having axially parallel peripheral pockets arranged to accommodate pairs of articles and to transfer one article of each pair into successive pockets of said first drum.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said receiving means further comprises a fourth drum having two sets of alternating axially parallel pockets, the pockets of one of said sets being arranged to receive the other article of each pair in successive pockets of said third drum and the pockets of the other set being arranged to receive inverted articles from successive pockets of said second drum.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said drums have identical diameters and said axes are located in a common horizontal plane.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said stringers make acute angles with the axes of the respective drums.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the holders respectively approaching the first and second drums along the corresponding stringers are parallel to the pockets of such drums.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said carrier comprises a tape of flexible metallic material and said holders are equidistant from each other.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said tape consists of steel.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said holders comprises a slotted coupling member having legs straddling said carrier and clamping means for said legs.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein each of said holders is provided with an article-receiving groove located opposite the respective coupling member.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, further compris ing drive means for said conveyor, said drive means including a driver wheel defining said end turn and having peripheral flutes receiving portions of said coupling members to transmit motion to said carrier through the intermediary of said holders.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said coupling members are constituted by cylindrical pins and wherein each of said flutes is of substantially semicircular cross-sectional outline.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said holders is provided with an article-receiving groove and comprises stop means having a portion in registry with one end of the respective groove to prevent axial movement of articles in response to the action of centrifugal force while the articles travel around said end turn.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, further comprising means for adjustably connecting said stop means to the respective holders.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising guide means for said holders, at least in the region where said holders receive articles from said feed or deliver articles to said receiving means.

19. Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said guide means comprises a pair of driven disks having portions engaging with the holders while such holders travel along at least one of said stringers.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said disks are provided with peripheral pockets for reception of portions of said holders.

21. Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said guide means comprises at least one stationary guide member and follower means provided on said holders and arranged to track said stationary guide member during travel along at least one of said stringers.

22. Apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said guide means comprises two stationary guide members defining between themselves a passage for said follower means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,772,005 11/1956 Dubin 198-131 2,899,072 8/1959 Weiss 198181 3,211,279 10/1965 Smith 198181 3,338,375 8/1967 Evans 198203 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,443,996 5/ 1966 France.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 198-20 

